Natural Focal Disease Hosts and Vectors

This chapter provides a brief characterization of the groups of animal hosts and vectors that carry natural focal disease from the perspective of their roles in the formation and function of natural foci. The distribution of the most important epidemiologically significant mammals, birds and fish, as well as bloodsucking insects and ticks is examined and illustrated with a series of maps. The maps were compiled based on materials collected by the authors and are the result of long-term studies in various regions of Russia, as well as the analysis of a substantial amount of literary data and archival material. The animals’ ranges are given by individual taxonomic unite (class, order, etc.) and are represented in accordance with traditional methods of small-scale zoogeographical cartography. The textual commentary illuminated the role of each species in the formation and function of natural foci and their association with specific landscapes.